Identity of Nashua River body still not confirmed

KIMBERLY HOUGHTONUnion Leader CorrespondentApril 05. 2013 4:09PMNASHUA - Police say there is a chance that the body pulled from the Nashua River on Thursday could potentially be the 43-year-old man reported missing in February after he did not return home from a walk.

"We are investigating the possibility that they are related," Lt. Michael Moushegian said on Friday.

Police were expecting to release the identity of the adult male found partially submerged in the Nashua River by a passer-by on Thursday afternoon. However, Moushegian said the medical examiner is waiting to confirm additional information before publicly releasing the man's identity.

Dagualberto Arzuaga, 43, was reported missing nearly two months ago after walking a relative's dog near Mine Falls Park. Although the dog returned home, Arzuaga never did, prompting police to search the area and send a dive team into the Nashua River in mid-February.

Despite the previous search, Arzuaga was never located, and has been missing ever since.

"We have reached the family, and we have been talking to them," said Moushegian. "I am confident that in the coming days we can confirm the identity."

It is still unclear how long the man's body was in the water, but police said it did not appear to be a recent incident.

"There doesn't seem to be any foul play or criminal acts involved. We think this was just an accident," said Moushegian, adding the public has no reason to be alarmed or concerned for its safety.

The state medical examiner's office completed an autopsy on the body Friday, however police said the cause of death is being withheld pending official identification of the man. There are a few more elements of the case to confirm before the man's name will be released, explained police.

Spectators gathered around the Nashua River in the area between the Mexican restaurant and the Nashua Public Library on Thursday afternoon to watch as a dive team removed the body from the water.

The body was stuck on a large branch protruding from the water for at least three hours, floating face down while crews attempted to free the body and hoist it onto land.

The body, as it was pulled from the river, appeared to be wearing jeans and boots, but no shirt.

Earlier this year in the same vicinity, city police responded twice to Black Bridge, an old covered bridge near the railroad trestle, for two unrelated events, bith of which were suicides.